The bill imposes a duty on amateur sports organizations, including US Equestrian and its members, to report suspected sex-abuse to local or federal law enforcement or to a child-welfare agency designated by the Justice Department, within 24 hours. Failure to report is subject to criminal penalties.

The bill amends two federal statutes: the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 and the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act of 1978.

Within the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, the bill extends the mandatory duty to report to US Equestrian members and participants, who must report suspected sexual abuse to authorities within 24 hours. An individual who does not report the suspected sexual abuse is subject to criminal penalties. Additionally, the bill extends the statute of limitations for victims to bring a civil lawsuit against a perpetrator and allows a claim for punitive damages.

The bill also amends the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 in several ways. Firstly, it designates the U.S. Center for SafeSport to serve as the independent national safe sport organization. This designation includes the responsibility for developing policies and procedures to prevent emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of amateur athletes. The bill also modifies the obligations of amateur athletic organizations, including National Governing Bodies (NGBs) such as US Equestrian.

These organizations must abide by all policies and procedures to prevent any type of abuse. They also must comply with all reporting requirements, establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between athletes who are minors and an adult, offer and provide consistent training to members who are in contact with minors, as well as establish ways to prohibit retaliation against the victim. Importantly, under the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Code and US Equestrian’s Safe Sport Policy, members of and participants in US Equestrian-licensed competitions and sponsored programs are required to report any suspected sexual misconduct to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, regardless of when and where the misconduct occurred.

“US Equestrian, as the NGB of equestrian sport, puts the safety and welfare of our members and horses first,” says US Equestrian President Murray Kessler. “The safety of our children is of utmost importance and US Equestrian supports the passage of this bill and sees it as an important step towards making our sport safe and enjoyable for all. We have taken many necessary steps to educate our members on the importance of the Safe Sport, but the work has only begun. We value our partnership with the U.S. Center for SafeSport and look forward to connecting our members to the resources that it has to offer.”

View this FAQ for more information on the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. For more information about the U.S. Center for SafeSport or the Safe Sport Policy, contact Sonja S. Keating at skeating@usef.org

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Rutgers students are preparing horses for the upcoming Ag Field Day on the Cook Campus on April 28.

Launched in 2015, the Rutgers University Teaching Herd (RUTH) is has been comprised of four permanent and four to five foster horses each year that are used to teach students with zero to minimal horse experience the basics of horse care and showmanship.

AVON-BY-THE-SEA, NJ — In less than two days, an Avon-by-the-Sea landmark that stood for 130 years was reduced to a huge pile of rubble. The Norwood Inn no longer stands on the corner of Norwood and Second Avenues — the last of the stately hotels that once graced the streets of Avon.

As onlookers gathered around the demolition site on March 15 and March 16, an excavator clawed its ...

TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has quarantined a property in Union County after a horse developed the highly infectious equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). EHM is the often deadly neurologic form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) infection. No recent movement had occurred at the index property prior to this case.

CHATHAM, NJ - The Borough of Chatham Council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution it intends to send to President Donald Trump and elected officials at all levels of government urging the enactment of "common sense, multi-faceted reforms to prevent gun violence in our school communities," at its regular meeting on Monday night.

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Unlike the borough letter, which was originally drafted by council ...

Our Lady of Peace Church and Academy in New Providence will be hosting a special screening of the movie "Screenagers" regarding a very important topic for families and youth – “Growing up in the Digital Age.” The movie delves into the important and current topic of children and teenagers and their use of social media and digital devices. The movie is appropriate for ...

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ -- Third graders in the Religious School at Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains received their own prayer books (siddurim) at a ceremony for their families on Sunday, March 11. The families participated in a short program, with the students leading some of the prayers they had learned and explaining the meaning of their Hebrew names. Rabbi Howard Tilman led ...

This past week will certainly be remembered by us all for a very, very long time. Thank you hardly seems sufficient, but it is the very least we can express in appreciation for all the incredible acts of kindness, generosity, selflessness, and volunteerism our community received this past week during and after the storm.

Thank you to all of our residents for their patience, understanding, and ...

A group of students file into a science classroom amid a nervous din of chatter, the air is electric with excitement and nervousness. This small group of approximately 30 students are a studious bunch, largely members of the sophomore class with squeaky clean administrative histories. They are currently preparing to defy authority and stand up for what they believe in, even though they had been ...

Do you have a 529 college savings plan? Have you thought about opening a 529 plan account? If the answer to either question is “yes,” you should know about two major changes that broaden the possibilities for 529 plans. They may give your family some new options. You may be able to pay K-12 tuition with 529 plan funds.

AVON-BY-THE-SEA, NJ — In less than two days, an Avon-by-the-Sea landmark that stood for 130 years was reduced to a huge pile of rubble. The Norwood Inn no longer stands on the corner of Norwood and Second Avenues — the last of the stately hotels that once graced the streets of Avon.

As onlookers gathered around the demolition site on March 15 and March 16, an excavator clawed its ...

My first admissions gig was working for a small liberal arts college with a pretty hefty price tag. Picture me at a college fair: name tag in place, pile of brochures ready to go. An eager family would walk up and we’d start a conversation. One of the first questions I’d get from parents was about cost and the moment that $50,000-plus figure left my mouth I ...

The New Providence Office of Emergency Management opened its shelter at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, their first guest being a stranded motorist. The storm left ¾ of New Providence without power. The shelter cared for over 325 people over the course of 6 days.

The Shelter provided, heat, wifi, electricity, food and a safe place to sleep. One ...